Why isn't Crosby at the U18? I know he's attending camps in LA but why isn't he playing for Canada at the U18? He just turned 17 right? And all the other fellow '05 draftees (brule ....etc...) are at the U18. Is Crosby at the NHL rookie camps in LA because he is just that damn good???

I heard on tv or somewhere that he is fitting right in against 20, 21 and 22 year old rookies. Is that true????

Okay, but what about players like Brule or Latendresse that may make the U20 team? There still at the U18 (i know latendresse isn't due to injury but he would be)

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Ok, Crosby is obviously a returning veteran on the U20 team this coming tournament. Usually players don't go back down a level. Crosby played on the U18 team last August when Canada finished 4th. He led the team(and tourney?) in scoring as an 87, but unfortunately Canada isn't the strongest at the 1986 year and they finished out of the medals. The same is happening with Team USA for the upcoming U18 World Junior Cup. Kessel, Johnson, Gerbe and co. played last year as underages and therefore, are not on the team for this tourney.

As for Brule and Latendresse, they will have to have a very good start to this coming season or U18 tourney to get an invite to the U20 final evaluation camp in December. That is their chance to make the team.

The same is happening with Team USA for the upcoming U18 World Junior Cup. Kessel, Johnson, Gerbe and co. played last year as underages and therefore, are not on the team for this tourney.

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This isn't true. There were no '87s on last year's US U18 World Cup team. Kessel, Johnson, and Gerbe (as well as Zach Jones and Jeff Frazee) were on the U18 team at the IIHF U18 World Championships and they will be again this season. USA Hockey just doesn't put NTDP players on the U18 World Cup roster. The only exceptions this year are for players who were with the NTDP's U17 team and won't be coming back (Nathan Lawrence) or players who will be joining the NTDP's U18 team next season.

As for Crosby, I don't have any facts but I'd imagine that Hockey Canada just feels he had his chance last year and would like to give some other players a chance.

I personally think that teams should try and ice the best teams available.

This isn't true. There were no '87s on last year's US U18 World Cup team. Kessel, Johnson, and Gerbe (as well as Zach Jones and Jeff Frazee) were on the U18 team at the IIHF U18 World Championships and they will be again this season. USA Hockey just doesn't put NTDP players on the U18 World Cup roster. The only exceptions this year are for players who were with the NTDP's U17 team and won't be coming back (Nathan Lawrence) or players who will be joining the NTDP's U18 team next season.

As for Crosby, I don't have any facts but I'd imagine that Hockey Canada just feels he had his chance last year and would like to give some other players a chance.

I personally think that teams should try and ice the best teams available.

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Well, I didn't say that they played at the U18 World Junior Cup last summer, but they did play at the just past U18 IIHF Worlds as underage players, which was essentially a tourney for 1986 born players. Kessel, Johnson, Gerbe, etc. may very well play again next April at the IIHF U18 if they are with the NTDP. You are right as USA Hockey does not fill the U18 World Junior Cup team with NTDP players. They didn't this year or last. I don't know if USA Hockey was at the 2002 tourney, which may not have been called the U18 World Junior Cup. It may have been the 8 Nations or 6 Nations tourney.

I'm not certain that Canada allows its players to play U18 after they have played U20. While I was speaking with Scott Salmond, who plays a role in both teams with Hockey Canada, he mentioned that Crosby wouldn't be playing U18 because he had already 'graduated' beyond it.